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The New Orleans Saints are known for using every salary cap loophole they can get their hands on, and their latest moves are no different. Former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Anthony Chickillo signed a free agent contract with the team that maintains the Saints’ salary cap flexibility.
As first reported by Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football, Chickillo’s one-year deal with the Saints qualifies for the veteran salary benefit. It means that he’ll count just $887,500 against this year’s salary cap, even if the Saints agreed to pay him a $910,000 base salary with a $137,500 signing bonus — for a total of $1,047,500.
This provision in the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement is designed to help teams sign veteran players to near-minimum salaries without sacrificing extra salary cap space. For cap-savvy teams like the Saints, it’s a way to load up their roster with good players without breaking the bank.
The Saints have now signed seven players to their 90-man offseason roster who qualify for this benefit, including Chickillo. And the players they’re signing aren’t just fodder for training camp:
- Defensive lineman Margus Hunt ($1.05 million base salary)
- Fullback Michael Burton ($910,000 base salary)
- Cornerback Johnson Bademosi ($1.05 million base salary)
- Running back Dwayne Washington ($910,000 base salary)
- Running back Ty Montgomery ($910,000 base salary)
- Offensive lineman Patrick Omameh ($1.05 million base salary)
- Linebacker Anthony Chickillo ($910,000 base salary)
And they might not be finished yet. The contract details on their agreement with longtime Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman James Hurst have not been reported, but he should be seen as a good candidate to qualify for this benefit. The challenge is finding players who are willing to sign on for a minimum salary, but the Saints have found ways to offer them opportunities and take advantage of it. Winning 13 games in each of the last two seasons with a Super Bowl in their sights for 2020 might have helped out.
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